We Are the Lucky Ones
by karivalentina
Summary: AU season 5 fix. T/M. They are living their happily ever after. What if fate dealt them a different hand this time? First 24 story. Please Review!
1. Morning Has Broken

Synopsis:

The following is a short account of what actually happened on 24

Day 5, 7:13 am: The flat screen TV sitting on Tony and Michelle's kitchen counter is on relating the news of David Palmer being assassinated.

Michelle says to Tony: "Never once did I regret our decision to leave CTU."

She tries to call CTU. Tony is not happy about this.

She says: "I don't want to look back on today and realized I could have helped."

Michelle leaves the house. Tony decides he will go with her. Right then he's knocked down by a loud explosion outside.

Michelle dies at 7:15 am.

**A/N: **

This story will differ from the aforementioned events. Everything that happened before this day stays the same. The format will resemble the real time format, except that it will not be hour by hour but rather in various time increments. For instance, the events in this chapter ( feelings, thoughts and behaviors) in this chapter will occur between 6:16 and 7:03 am.

I always wanted to write a Michelle/Tony fanfic. What finally inspired me was some encouragement from lifeisaticket.

…

Morning Has Broken

The following takes place between 6:16 and 7:03 am.

Michelle opened her eyes to a bright new day, sunlight streaming in through the windows. The first thing she heard were the sweet sound of birds chirping outside her window like a hand delivered summon from heaven. She smiled, thinking that the baby chicks must have just hatched. The bird's nest was located in the strangest of places: right above her bedroom window, on the gutter on the roof.

With a smile on her face, she looked on to Tony, still sleeping peacefully beside her with his back to her. Their radio alarm clock sitting on Tony's side of the bed read 6: 18 am. It never failed. She would usually wake up right before their alarm went off.

The alarm awakened at exactly 6:20 am blasting a Beatles song on their favorite oldies radio station. She recognized the lyrics right away as it was one of the songs she fondly remembered from her childhood. Her mother had been a die-hard Beatles fan. Heck, her grandmother had actually attended a live Beatles concert back in the day.

When I get older losing my hair,

Many years from now,

Will you still be sending me a valentine

Birthday greetings bottle of wine?

If I'd been out till quarter to three

Would you lock the door,

Will you still need me, will you still

Feed me

When I'm sixty-four?

Right when Paul McCartney was in the middle of singing the chorus, she saw Tony open his eyes.

Oo oo oo oo oo oo oooo

You'll be older too, (ah, ah, ah, ah)

And if you say the word,

I could stay with you.

Tony turned over to face her and smiled weakly at her with groggy eyes. She thought that was a good sign since Tony wasn't normally a morning person and she knew better than to start talking to him about important matters as soon as he opened his eyes.

"I would stay with you forever, even if you're older too," he smirked, pulling her into his arms.

"Well, you'd better!" she said in a playful tone, gently stroking his face.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, alright," he whispered, his hand patting the bulge on her belly. Yesterday, at the Prenatal imaging center, they had seen the first sonogram of their baby in color 3D. Not your standard sonogram by any means, but a state of the art ultrasound catering to the needs of overly eager first time parents. At first, it had been hard to make out anything beyond a beating heart and a flexed arm….until the technician switched the image to 3D…that's when they got an amazingly clear view of the baby's face.

"I love you both so much," his lips brushed hers softly. Suddenly, he was utterly amazed at his good fortune.

She sighed. "I love you so much, Tony," she gazed at him adoringly.

Much to her surprise, after a minute or so, Tony sprung out of bed in a flash. Funny how he was always the last one to wake and yet he was always the first up and about. Michelle, on the other hand nearly always awoke first, yet it usually took her a while longer to talk herself into leaving the comfort of her warm covers.

She sighed a heavy sigh of content as she watched him stroll over to their master bathroom. Then, she reached over to her night table to retrieve the folder with the pictures of their baby's sonogram. The pictures were in an unnatural yellowish color yet you could clearly see the baby's face up close: the silhouette of the eyelids, mouth and nose staring right up at her.

"OH, Tony, look," Michelle had sighed, unreservedly elated.

The outline of the fetus' nose was stunningly clear. "He's definitely got your nose," Tony had smiled at her, eagerly awaiting her reaction, deciding against mentioning anything about what seemed to him like a double chin. That would definitely kill the moment…and he liked nothing better than seeing his wife happy.

"And your eyelashes, I can tell" she happily added. She would have liked to have seen his eyes, but the baby's eyes had been closed during the entire session.

Another sonogram picture (a regular black and white in 2D) showed the baby's entire body profile. In this one, an arrow clearly pointed to the baby's male parts. Tony had nearly squealed when the doctor had told them that the baby was indeed a boy. Since they learned of the pregnancy, Tony had claimed that something 'told him' that the baby was a boy. It felt so good to have been right all along; it was as though he had indeed won the lottery…big time!

Almost reluctantly (for she would have loved to linger in bed a little longer), Michelle rolled out of bed and slid off her lavender silk nightgown. Next, she reached for her favorite dark jeans which were within reach folded in a chair beside the window. She decided against wearing the white blouse on top of the jeans which she had pre-selected the day before. She was grateful that the jeans still fit her (although tightly) even though she was already 16 weeks along. As it was, almost everyone she knew had been surprised to learn of her pregnancy as she barely 'showed'.

Then, she pulled from her closet a red cami with delicate white lace around the collar. She looked at her self in the mirrored closet doors. She looked good.

Still, it was time to get herself some maternity wardrobe, she decided. She would ask her friend Tracy to come to the mall with her after work.

She had been thinking ahead of the days events that somehow that she missed Tony coming out of the bathroom (all freshly showered) and getting dressed. Next thing she knew, he was smiling at her, clad in his jeans and blue dress shirt. He was so incredibly handsome.

"So, will you do it, then?" he asked.

Michelle tilted her head. She must have missed something he said.

Seeing that she appeared confused, he continued, "Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four?" he winked at her.

She returned his smile brightly and breached the distance between them in two steps. "You bet I will," she assured him, kissing him lightly. "I will love you forever." She straightened his shirt collar and stepped back to take a better look at him.

"Even when I'm losing my memory, my teeth… and my hair?" he inquired in a playful tone.

That hair of his was certainly one of his best features. She pursed her lips and gazed at him with gentle eyes.

"Will you still be with me even in the end if I wind up with a feeding tube in a nursing home? He went on with a hint of a sheepish smile.

"Sure, as long as you keep your side of the bargain…"

He gave her a curious look, not sure what she meant.

"You know, as long as I don't have to cook," she clarified seeing the confused look on his face with a twinkle in her eyes. "I'll still be right there with you," she lightly patted his chest. "Making sure that feeding tube is on right…"

"That sure is a relief," he chuckled. "It's getting late," Tony said suddenly serious. "Our meeting with Rick Roset," he reminded her.

Michelle gazed over at the clock radio. Its annoying red light flashed. It was 7:03 am.

"I'll start the coffee," he added already walking towards the kitchen.

Oh, shoot! She thought. She would have to hurry or she would barely have time for breakfast.

The radio announcer asked his listeners to stay tuned promising a run down of the latest news at the top of the hour. Then, he reminded listeners that all they had to do was listen for the next Beatles song and be the ninth caller with the song title in order to win the grand prize. Michelle shook her head slightly and smiled. As a teenager, she had listened to disc jockeys faithfully day and night and followed all instructions; never once did she win a thing.

It was the luck of the draw. Just like life. You never knew for sure what was around the bend.

**A/N: Please leave a review if you would like to read more. This will probably be a short fic of just a few chapters and I will like to keep going while I'm still inspired. Thanks so much for reading.**


	2. Just Another Day

**A/N: **I got the idea for the title of this story while browsing the T/M fanforum sites (from way back in the day). The song Lucky by Bif Naked was chosen in their opening page as the lyrics were thought to be perfect for our favorite couple.

Incidentally, I forgot to mention that the title for the first chapter was taken from the song by the same title by Cat Stevens.

The following is a short account of what actually happened on 24

Day 5, 7:13 am: The flat screen TV sitting on Tony and Michelle's kitchen counter is on relating the news of David Palmer being assassinated.

Michelle says to Tony: "Never once did I regret our decision to leave CTU."

She tries to call CTU. Tony is not happy about this.

She says: "I don't want to look back on today and realized I could have helped."

Michelle leaves the house. Tony decides he will go with her. Right then he hears a loud explosion.

Michelle dies at 7:15 am.

Just Another Day

**The following takes place between 7:04 am and 7:15 am.**

At times, something happens in an otherwise ordinary life that changes the course of a chain of events. One small decision like reaching over and switching the channel on your radio station or looking back over your shoulder as you drive to discipline your unruly children can steer you towards a road you never intended to travel. All it takes is another distracted driver and your life changes for ever… all in just a fraction of a second.

Victims of car accidents often belatedly realize that something was definitely not right that day and that if only they had heeded the signs along the way, a tragedy might have been prevented.

If only they have taken a different course of action...

We all have an inner voice that attempts to guide us when there is trouble ahead. It is just that we don't always listen.

On the surface, this particular day did not feel different from any other ordinary day.

That morning before Michelle went to the bathroom to freshen up, she decided she would switch the radio station to one that played the latest hits.

_Remember the time we made love in the roses?  
(and you took my picture in all sorts of poses!)  
how could I ever get over you, when i'd give my life for yours._

_I know we are... we are the lucky ones.  
I know we are... we are the lucky ones._

_My dear, It's time to say i thank god for you.  
i thank god for you in each and every single way._

She felt lucky indeed. She had a wonderful marriage, relatively low stress employment and was expecting her first child. Indeed, she was enjoying her pregnancy very much. She had experienced very little of the morning sickness that other women typically experience during the first months of pregnancy. So indeed, she had been quite lucky to experience very little of the discomforts of early pregnancy. Every month that went by was full of new discoveries and filled her with hope and joy.

She couldn't possible imagine a more perfect life.

Although she knew that life held its inevitable ups and downs. She had experienced them herself in her relationship with Tony over the years. But now they had finally overcome all the obstacles that life had thrown their way and it was time to reap all the benefits of their former struggles and love for one another.

After the song was over, she turned off the radio and headed for the bathroom. Normally, she would leave the radio on all day, but for some reason she disliked the song that followed so much that she did not want it to ruin her mood for the day.

Meanwhile….

Tony walked into their modern pristine kitchen ready to take on the day.

Like every morning for the last three months, thinking that Michelle needed as much kick back time as possible given her pregnancy, he started the coffee and turned on their flat screen TV to catch up on the latest news while the coffee brewed.

He reached in the cupboard for an apple cinnamon Nutri-grain bar seeking to calm his grumbling stomach and ate it in three bites.

Normally, they would have Special K for breakfast, unless they were running late in which case a granola bar was in order.

Just when he was throwing the wrapper away in the trash, the coffeemaker whistled.

Tony poured his hot coffee on his Chicago Cubs mug …the same mug that had miraculously survived the bombing at CTU where his co-worker Paula Schaeffer had been killed.

He'd always figured that just possessing the mug had brought him good luck. Better to believe that than to associate it with the deaths that had tragically occurred that day.

Indeed, Tony was an optimist at heart and he chose to believe that if he and Michelle had survived the bombing that day, the mug itself represented a good omen.

One thing was for sure, he would never take his new life for granted. Even though he had loved working at CTU, he had wanted to live a normal life with Michelle more than anything. She was all his reasons, she was his everything…

Just when he was getting ready to stir in some cream and sugar, the TV newscaster interrupted their regularly scheduled _Good Morning America_ program to announce in a solemn tone the breaking news of the day. Tony had just poured in his coffee and turned back at once for the announcement.

At exactly 7:13 am, the news of David Palmer's assassination was broadcasted to the world.

Feeling oddly disconnected from his body, Tony stared at the screen in disbelief, and one of his movements caused the mug to fall off the edge of the counter-top. It hit the floor in a fraction of a second.

His gaze instantly dropped to his feet. Picking up shattered pieces of broken glass had definitely not been part of his plans for the morning.

Right then, he heard Michelle's voice asking what happened.

He had been standing at arm's length from the TV set.

As if his hands had a will of their own, Tony reached over and turned off the TV. He wasn't sure why; it was as if forces outside his conscious control prompted him to take such action.

Once when he was a little boy, his mother had taken him to see a Spanish fortune teller. He wasn't sure just how old he was but he must have been very little. However, he recalled as clear as day playing in the corner of the room with his matchbox cars while the adults talked in hushed voices… yet he had heard every word they said.

What had struck him that day were the soothsayer's words: _the future right is right there for all of us to see but only those attuned to their inner voice can hear its knock._ _Even so, we can then choose to heed its calling or do the opposite thing that inner voice advises us to do. We always have a choice._

Those words became imprinted in his mind. Later on as he grew older, he spent quite a bit of time dedicated to translating them into English and pondering over the subtle meaning behind various translations. Even then, his mind had been naturally inclined to conducting investigations. In the end, his young imagination had become convinced that somehow those words held one of life's greatest truths.

She walked into the room half a second later.

_Had she heard the news? _

"Oh, Tony…I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed with a pained look on her face. She knew just how much he loved his cubby mug.

Tony was at a loss of words. He scratched the back of his neck.

Then, she moved to get a petite broom and shovel that she kept in a nearby cabinet and proceeded to sweep up some of the glass.

That's when he knew she was talking about the mug and not about President Palmer's assassination.

A sense of deep relief washed over his face. He knew just how strong her sense of duty was. No doubt she would want to do something…like call CTU for instance.

"I'll take care of it, Michelle" he said in a resolute manner, gesturing for the broom and shovel.

She gave him a long apologetic look while (relinquishing control of the cleaning supplies) handing over the broom and shovel, as though she had been somehow sort of responsible for the mug's untimely demise. She knew just how much the cubby mug meant to him.

"Would you like some eggs and toast or some cereal this morning?" he proceeded to sweep. "I'll get the shards with the vacuum…"

Michelle thought he would have his hands full with all the cleaning so she really couldn't ask him to cook. "I'll have some cereal…I'm not all that hungry…"

When he looked up at her again, she was still standing there, as though unsure of her next course of action.

"Hey, it'll be alright…" he said thinking he would put a positive spin on things. "At least, it was not a mirror…" the corners of his mouth turned into a small smile. "We saved ourselves seven years of bad luck…"

She smiled brightly; he always knew just what to say to make her smile.

All of a sudden, Michelle felt uncomfortable in her tank top and glanced back over her shoulder towards the bedroom. Normally, she would not think twice about her choice of outfits for the day. But today, for some reason she had changed her mind twice. First, when she had decided against wearing the white blouse she had originally chosen…and now she was going through the motions of changing again.

It was as though something deep within her was telling her that she MUST change into a different top.

Not being one to argue with herself, Michelle decided to go back in the bedroom. "Ok, honey…I'll be right back…"

Feeling as if the rug had been pulled from under him, Tony finally allowed himself to think about all the implications regarding President Palmer's assassination.

This day was certainly not like any other. Suddenly their ordinary life was under attack.

Worse still, he didn't know how this day would end. He thought of Jack, they would have to talk about this.

And then what? He wondered.

How long before Michelle found out? It was all over the news.

It was as if trying to cover the sun with his hand. Sooner or later she would find out. Was he going to pretend he didn't know? He doubted he could pull such a thing off, Michelle knew him all too well.

_She's gonna find out sooner than you think and then you'll have an awful lot of explaining to do. No chance in hell you're gonna get away with this_. Sometimes, the voice in his head was too much of a smart-ass.

The time on their kitchen wall clock read 7:15 am.

A/N: **Coco, K, Lifeisaticket and Mabuhay: thank you so much for your warm reviews! Please keep them coming! Dear readers: your comments (regardless of their length) along with my love for this beautiful couple are the best source of inspiration!**


	3. Another Day in Paradise

**A/N:** title of this chapter comes from the song by Phil Collins "Another Day in Paradise.

WARNING: This chapter is a bit racy, although I've tried to keep it at a T-Rating.

* * *

The following is a short account of what actually happened on 24

Day 5, 7:13 am: The flat screen TV sitting on Tony and Michelle's kitchen counter is on relating the news of David Palmer being assassinated.

Michelle says to Tony: "Never once did I regret our decision to leave CTU."

She tries to call CTU. Tony is not happy about this.

She says: "I don't want to look back on today and realized I could have helped."

Michelle leaves the house. Tony decides he will go with her. Right then he's knocked down by a loud explosion.

Michelle dies at 7:15 am.

* * *

Another Day in Paradise

The following takes place between 7:16 am & 8:00 am.

She spun on her heel and strode to the bedroom.

It took him the better part of the next five minutes to tidy up the kitchen.

As soon as he was done, he followed her down the short hallway that directly led into two rooms, the doors opposite one another.

He paused and for a moment, his eyes couldn't help but feel drawn to the room immediately to his left.

The baby's room. It had been planned right to the last detail.

The walls and ceiling were painted a beautiful sky blue color surrounded by hand painted clouds of varying sizes and shapes; the largest and fluffiest clouds were depicted in the wall nearest to the crib. The mobile that hung above the crib had been selected to match the theme of free flowing things related to the sky. It had stars, butterflies, rainbows and birds. Likewise, framed pictures of angels were showcased in selected places on the walls.

Even though decorating was not his thing, he had to admit this room was something else. His eyes roamed the room giving it its seal of approval and was quite pleased with the end result as well as with his own contribution to the project. He had spent a considerable amount of time coating the walls with their initial coat of paint.

They had hired an interior decorator to paint the exquisite array of clouds as Michelle wanted them to look realistic as though they were stepping into their little piece of heaven.

Even though the room was in need of the last finishing touches, Tony had to agree that there was this effect of magnificent serenity had been achieved to point of making him feel as if he was stepping into a different dimension...into their very own private paradise.

Everything was _almost_ ready to welcome their baby into the world.

_Their baby. His baby._

Just like the nursery, their journey into expectant parenthood had also been planned down to the last detail. First and foremost, they had waited for the right timing.

Their business was starting to turn in a solid profit and six months ago they had joined the ranks of home ownership.

Thus, when one day Michelle had surprised him with a playful smirk along with the positive results of a home ovulation kit, he had not hesitated. She wanted to have a baby with _him. His Michelle wanted to have a baby with him..._

In his heart he knew that the timing was just right.

With a bright smile he turned back towards the master bedroom

When he walked into their bedroom, he found her in the midst of getting dressed.

Apparently, it had taken her a few minutes to decide what to wear.

His smile widened.

"Hey," he said in a slow deep tone, his eyes zeroing on the outline of the dark colored bra which stood out in stark contrast to her gorgeously defined bare back.

Her skin looked vibrant, almost translucent.

She spun on her heel, holding the garment she had selected close to her chest. Yet, instinctively, she lowered the blouse in response to the sexy smile curving his lips and nearly let it drop to the floor.

_One look at her is all it took. I can't do it, I can't just throw it all away. I love her and that was all that really matters._

What they had was too precious and he wasn't about to throw it all away.

He didn't like the passivity of just waiting for events to naturally unfold, that was not his style. He would very much rather grab the bull by the horns.

He bridged the distance between them in two steps.

"I have a confession to make," Tony said with a serious expression, scratching the side of his face. A titanic struggle between his own happiness and what he knew was the right thing to do. He knew they needed to find President Palmer's assassins. His own gut experience told him that that something much larger loomed behind it all. If there was something they could do to help, anything at all…

There was still time, he could tell her about President Palmer. As if it was suddenly suffocating him, he tugged at his neck collar.

"What is it, Tony?" She matched his expression and tone.

He loved her strong femininity. How she could be both caring and also a force to be reckoned with.

His s gaze fell on her perfectly arched eye brows, the delicate outline of her jaw. It finally rested on her mouth where it wanted to be all along.

And then he forgot about everything else.

"You're so beautiful today, _mi amor_."

She loved it when he referred to her as "_mi amor_." Even though she knew the term of enderarment was somewhat trite and certainly overused in the Spanish language, to her it had come to mean something special.

Most of all, she loved the way his voice sounded like a song whenever he spoke in Spanish.

She tilted her face to him, her eyes cloudy with need.

He felt himself growing hard as he looked deeply into her eyes, those eyes that meant everything to him; eyes brimming with love for him and only him… those eyes that were the door to the depths of her heart, body and soul…

He breathed heavily, knowing that he was the only one with a key to that door…

And they both leaned forward as they fell into each other's arms and his hand slid to her backside.

They kissed long and hazily as though there would be no tomorrow.

Her mouth tasted so good.

God, he wanted her, every damn cell in his being screamed for her…

"Tony, she murmured against his mouth."We only have an hour before the meeting."

He smirked. "We still have plenty of time," he assured her with a naughty glint in his eyes before capturing her lips again. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?" He whispered, his hot breath in her ear, drawing shivers up and down her body.

She didn't say a word as she pulled back some to gaze at him for a moment, biting her lower lip. Then, she just smiled while unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it of his shoulders in a slow sexy way.

With her arms looped tightly around his neck he lifted her in a firefighters hold and lowered her gently onto the bed as though it was a field of roses.

Michelle propped herself on her elbows and watched him undress. God, he was absolutely gorgeous, she reflected as a rush of electric current traveled down her legs and her gaze settled on his taut, flat stomach…and then lower.

When he finally came to bed with her, her hands reached out to freely explore that superb body of his that aroused her to no end….

She gave a small moan as his hands expertly trailed down her body, caressing, exciting, tantalizing…removing all of her clothing slowly yet demanding… making every inch of her body throb with anticipation.

She cried out at the sudden invasion of his passionate lips in the most intimate of places. Just when she thought she just couldn't possibly take it any more, he swallowed the rest of her cry with a kiss that took her breath away.

She closed her eyes in delight, enjoying the delicious movement of his body inside hers. The urgency of his strokes, the weight of his body felt like nothing less than paradise.

"Michelle," he paused and for one mind shattering moment, his eyes piercingly seeking hers only to find them still closed. He wanted to see her wanton with need more than he needed air. "You feel so good…"

And she found herself intuitively opening up to him, arching her back and bringing him deeper into her.

She gave in, unable and unwilling to hold anything back.

"Oh, God, Tony! "She moaned loudly as she felt him pick up speed and his moments become more erratic.

"Open your eyes, Sweetheart," he pleaded right at that moment when they both were ready to welcome their release…

She opened her eyes just in time to lose herself in him.

That's the way it had always been with him…. Just perfect, absolutely perfect, she thought enjoying the feeling of uttermost connection as their bodies slowed making time stand still just for the two of them.

His head fell over her chest and they held each other tight for a few moments truly enjoying that ultimate feeling of breathtaking intimacy.

"I love you," he breathed.

"I love you too," _This definitely was one of the finest moments in life that should last forever._

After a little while, Tony rolled over to his side of the bed, his eyes seeking the alarm clock.

It was 7:45 am.

They only had half an hour to make it to the meeting. He considered calling to cancel it.

She rolled onto one elbow and smoothed a hand over his chest. "We gotta get going, you know…" she said with a trace of regret in her tone.

Right then her tummy grumbled a little too loudly.

"Not without a good breakfast," he muttered, partly upset at himself for letting her go this long without eating.

"Yes, Sir," Michelle giggled, running her fingers across his chin. Then, she rolled onto her belly and contemplated his profile while resting her chin on her folded hands across his chest. "I'm not really that hungry…" she added as an afterthought.

"Hmm…well, your tummy says otherwise," he gave a low chuckle while putting his arms around her and gently rolling with her so that their bodies lay side to side facing one another. "Besides, we have our little guy to think about…"

As always, she relished the feeling of her body cradled against his and the feel of his hair roughed legs against hers.

It was incredible to feel cherished in this way.

_This was one of the finest moments in life that should last forever. _She smiled hazily, as this was the second time within the last hour that this same thought had crossed her mind.

He pressed his lips against her shoulder.

They nuzzled their foreheads, simply enjoying being with each other.

That's when they heard the loud buzzing of a phone.

"I'll get it," Tony sprung to his feet and surprised her by getting dressed in mere seconds. "Left my phone in the kitchen."

Four minutes later, she came into the kitchen fully dressed and with freshly applied lipstick.

He wordlessly handed her a cherry nutri-grain bar (her favorite flavor) while holding his phone to his ear.

No matter what went on any given day, regardless of whether she had worked up an appetite, he always made sure she ate well. Those Nutri-grain bars had at least 15% calcium in each serving. Thus, he made sure she had at least a couple of those bars a day (aside from her regular meals). Glancing through her pregnancy books, he had discovered a chart with the vitamins and minerals recommended for expectant mothers. He'd made a copy of the page and pasted it on the inside of one of their kitchen cabinets.

Sometimes when Michelle would comment on how she was not really hungry, he would wordlessly open the cabinet.

Michelle would roll her eyes at the chart which would glare back at her with a sweeping list of all nutritional facts necessary for optimum fetal development.

With an exaggerated look of defeat, she would then take a bite of whatever food group Tony offered her.

Tony would normally come back with a triumphant look on his face, as though he had personally put together the chart after many years of extensive research.

Presently, Michelle ate her breakfast bar while Tony talked.

"Yeah…Tomorrow sounds good, " Tony hesitated for a moment. "Let me double check my calendar…" he glanced over at Michelle while covering the phone's mouth piece. "Roset wants to meet with us tomorrow at 3:00 O'clock sharp…"

Michelle walked over to the couch and retrieved her phone from her purse. It only took her a few moments to check her digital calendar.

"Sounds like it would work," she murmured.

Tony ended the call and looked at Michelle with a relieved expression on his face as though he was in grade school and had just found out that recess had been extended for another hour.

Michelle sighed wondering what to do next. That was one of the wonders of owning your own business. Sometimes they had to work late well beyond their normal business hours…at other times, their schedule opened up at the most unexpected times…

Her eyes brightened at the thought of hitting the stores with her friend Tracy; getting to the mall early for a change and shopping for that maternity wardrobe she so needed.

Using the voice recording feature on her phone, she sent Tracy a text message. "I have some free time, could you meet me at the mall in an hour?" Michelle knew that Tracy hardly ever missed a chance to go shopping.

"Tracy says that she can come and pick me up in half-an hour…" Michelle told Tony with some hesitation. "I think…she needs to discuss something with me…"

Tony nodded. It sort of made sense for them to take the same vehicle. Tracy would have her 14 month old daughter with her and her vehicle already had a car seat installed. A car seat. Yes. Tony made a mental note to do some research on that. Although, they certainly had some time before the baby was born…it never hurt to be prepared.

**A/N:** Readers: Thanks so much for the reviews, Please keep them coming!


	4. Michelle, Ma Belle

**A/N: **Title of this chapter comes from the Beatles song titled: Michelle.

Michelle, ma belle. _Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble_. _Tres bien ensemble_

(Michelle, ma belle. These are the words that go together well, very well.)

CORRECTION: In chapter 1, I mentioned that Michelle's grandma had attended a Beatles concert. But the dates really don't match up. Thus, it was really Michelle's mother who attended the concert.

* * *

Michelle, ma Belle

The following takes place between **8:00 am** and **9:15 am.**

**8:00 am.**

Tony tried to act normal and carry on with his regular routine. Except that now he had some time to kill. He figured that now that their meeting was cancelled, he would just catch up on some paperwork.

He walked towards the desk located in corner of their family room and started thinking about his priorities while Michelle buzzed around in the kitchen while getting ready to leave the house.

He turned when she heard her speak from the kitchen: "We'll stop and grab a proper brunch at the Mall," she reassured him. "In the meantime, this should do," she added while pouring herself a giant glass of milk. "Enough calcium to feed an elephant," she smirked.

He became acutely aware that this day was like no other. The inevitable was bound to happen.

He wanted to ask her to stay. Yet he had no reason to make such a request, he couldn't just say_: yeah, stay with me, don't go shopping with your friend._

Once his Michelle left the house, there was no question she would find out about Palmer.

_It was not a matter of 'if' but 'when'._

_It was out of his hands._

_It was in the hands of fate._

"Tracy is here," Michelle announced and he realized he had been so absorbed in her own thoughts to notice that she was right there beside him now.

"Already? Did she get here on a jet plane?"

She smiled at that.

For a moment or so they locked eyes.

He cupped her face in his palms, his forehead naturally seeking to lean against hers. "You're the best thing that has happened to me." Then he kissed her lips ever so softly and pulled back some to gaze into her eyes. "Never forget that, mi amor."

Her eyes lingered on him for a moment, nodding slowly. She could still feel the strong manly scent of his aftershave mingled with something she couldn't quite define. She knew the corners of his mind so well that she couldn't help but feel that he was holding something back. "Is everything alright? She cocked her head slightly as if to punctuate the hesitation in her question.

He smiled sort of apologetically. "Hmm…yeah, yeah…I just realized that I need to balance my checkbook, so I'll be pretty darn busy…"

A loving smile curved her lips. She knew how much he hated dealing with his checkbook. Right then, they heard the honk of a car. "I love you so much," she murmured as a way of a good-bye.

A few seconds later, she was heading for the front door.

Once she made it across their lawn and reached the driveway, she turned to see if her husband was watching out the window. Sure enough, he was standing by the sliding glass window, holding his cell phone to his ear yet ready to wave good-bye.

She returned his wave and got to the passenger side of her friend's Toyota Camry in one fluid motion.

On their way to the mall they listened to a CD of children's songs instead of the radio. In the backseat, Tracy's little girl clapped and sang along to the music.

* * *

Tony tried to get hold of Jack, hoping he still had that untraceable phone he given him a year and a half ago after helping him fake his death. All he got was a standard voice recording that said: _the number you are calling has been disconnected or is no longer in service._

After the third time re-dialing the number, Tony tossed the phone aside in exasperation.

**8:15 am. **

Tony decided to call CTU. He wanted to speak to Chloe but got Edgar instead. He learned that Chloe had not reported to work in that day. Was she sick?

"I need Chloe's cell phone number, pronto." He told Edgar.

"Sure," Edgar said in a patronizing tone. "Except that she's not answering!" He let out a sigh. "Look, Tony, we're busy…trying to apprehend President Palmer's shooter… When and if I get hold of Chloe, I'll let her know you called."

Edgar hung up before Tony had a chance to respond.

Tony considered his options. He could call Edgar back and let him in no uncertain terms know how imperative it was for him to get hold of Chloe; yet he doubted that Edgar would be in a more cooperative mood. Or he could just wait…and do nothing. He didn't really like this idea, but what else could he do at this point short of showing up at CTU?

* * *

**8:40 am.**

Chloe gets apprehended for insubordination in her quest to help Jack. At CTU, Edgar listened in when Bill tries in vain to get Chloe to tell him where Jack is. Then, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of apprehension when Bill barks at him: "_Put Chloe in a holding cell when she gets back…_"

For a moment, Edgar considered calling Tony back. Yet he quickly dismissed this idea. He told himself that he was way too busy and besides, Tony was no longer a CTU agent and thus, he had no responsibility to call back.

…..

In the meantime, Tracy chatted with the sales lady at the cash register while Michelle paid for her purchases at _Motherhood Maternity._

Michelle bought several pairs of jeans; she wasn't crazy about wearing jeans with elastics around the waist but she also could not picture herself wearing dresses all the time. She also bought several loose fitting tops and a couple of nursing bras. She was glad that Tracy was there helping her decide between the different styles.

"I know these clip down styles are nicer, but trust me from a practical standpoint, these are way better" Tracy had assured her while holding the wrap around style bra which was clearly labeled as a sleep nursing bra. "Oh, and I wear these all the time not just for nighttime," she added casting a loving look at her young child who had fallen asleep in her stroller."

Michelle smiled back. This was turning out to be a good day and they were done with their shopping in record time. She was relieved to find that she had found what she needed without having to spend half a morning looking in different stores, comparing styles and sizes.

"Oh, Tracy…she sighed as the sales lady handed over her purchases. "You have saved my life, I don't know what I would have done without you," she added with genuine appreciation.

"Probably passed out in the middle of the mall by mid-afternoon, overwhelmed by so many choices," Tracy chuckled, giving her a slight pat on her arm.

**8:58 am.**

The two women sat down at a table in quiet the corner of the nearest _Jamba Juice_, with Tracy's baby strapped to a wooden restaurant style high chair. Michelle ordered a breakfast wrap which contained egg whites and a mix of veggies and fruit and gooey cheese (the best part no doubt) wrapped in a hearty tortilla. Tracy ordered a turkey and sausage breakfast wrap and a small strawberry banana smoothie for her child.

Michelle loved watching Tracy with her baby, especially now that she was expecting a child of her own. Being a mother was no easy task, she knew. Just from her friendship with Tracy she had observed many an occasion when she had witnessed the challenges of young motherhood.

Except that today little Mary Ann was having a bad day. She spit out her smoothie after taking a tiny sip from her straw and made a face. Bits of juice landed on her mother's tank top (since she was sitting closer)

Michelle bit her lower lip and gave her friend a sympathetic look.

Tracy tucked the long curls that framed her face behind her ears and exhaled. She and Michelle had met back in college; they had been roommates that became fast friends. Before long, they had exchanged confidences and hair styling secrets. Tracy's hair was remarkably like Michelle's in texture, length and coloring, except that Tracy's was considerably curlier to the point that it was nearly impossible to straighten it without the aid of strong chemicals; whereas Michelle's locks could be easily straightened with a just a good brush and hair dryer.

Funny how Tracy always said she would like her hair to behave like Michelle's, considering how much the latter actually admired her friend's well defined curls. Although Michelle was not particularly unhappy with her hair; she could certainly appreciate its versatility but did not spend too much time thinking about it.

"Oh, if only I had your hair…I would wear it straight ALL the time," Tracy had sighed like a mantra back then, brush in hand during particularly bad hair days.

Sitting across from Michelle at _Jamba Juice_, she did not have much time to fuss with her hair as she did in her college carefree days. Sporting her best 'you- better-eat-your-vegetables smile', she grabbed a fork and tried to feed her daughter some of her breakfast burrito. But the child shook her head and pushed the offending utensil away with such force that it landed on the floor, food splattered everywhere.

"It's the terrible two's" Tracy directed her comment to the other guests dining nearby as a way of an explanation. "Well, she's not quite two yet…so it's more like the terrible ones!" she pursed her lips, shook her head slightly and shrugged. "But I guess no one has invented THAT term yet."

Michelle bent down to pick up the plastic fork and stood up to throw it in the trash behind her.

The older couple sitting at a table nearby nodded knowingly.

"Oh, dear…wait till the teenage years!" Said an older female voice in her late 60's.

"Ours are ALL thankfully gone...married off or in college," the woman's husband replied happily.

Michelle smiled politely, but mostly focused on Mary Ann and trying to figure out what the child wanted. She wasn't one to strike up random conversations with strangers. You just never knew these days what kind of people you would find. Most people tend to be too trusting and assume that most people are exactly like them. Moreover, her years of training as a CTU agent had taught to limit her interactions and to portray certain aloofness when interfacing with the public.

"Until then, brace yourself for the worst is yet to come!" The older man, who introduced himself as 'Bob', continued with a smirk.

"And to think that I was actually looking forward to her getting a little older…" Tracy replied, matching the tone of the conversation.

"Well, we're glad we're here just in time to burst your bubble," Bob's wife replied, grinning from ear to ear.

It became clear to Michelle that these people clearly enjoyed this type of light hearted snark. She relaxed some, but continued to pay attention to Mary Ann, stroking her hair and speaking to her in a gentle soothing voice. Under ordinary circumstances, she might have laughed along but somehow she did not like thinking of children as a burden.

She was in the midst experiencing the joys of pregnancy, abundantly filled with hope for the future and did not even want to consider that she may indeed living in a bubble.

A few minutes later, the couple left amidst smiles and after cracking a few more jokes.

It wasn't until they left that Tracy turned her attention to her baby. She was surprised to see that Mary Ann was actually eating a few bites of Michelle's breakfast burrito which she had set aside on a separate plate for her.

"Hmm" Michelle sighed, clearly exaggerating how much she enjoyed her burrito all for Mary Ann's benefit.

"Oh, Michelle…you're so good with her," Tracy drew out a long breath. "I think you ought to baby sit more often."

"Sure…I'm all for it," there was no hesitation in Michelle's voice.

"Perfect!" Tracy's smile suddenly faded. "I guess the timing couldn't be better…"

"Yeah…" Michelle agreed thinking that once the baby was born her time would be more limited. She ate a few more bites of her burrito with gusto.

But then she became concerned at her friends somber expression. "Is there something wrong?" she asked while feeding a very eager Mary Ann another bite of her food.

Tracy looked down on her burrito, picked at it with a fork pushing the food around in her plate. Yet she did not take a bite.

After a few minutes of silence, Michelle just knew. "What is it?" her voice was laced with such concern that it sounded soothing. "Another fight with Tom?"

Tracy's expression grew even more miserable at the mention of her soon to be ex-husband.

She waited for her to elaborate but Tracy just gazed off into the distance, past the tall paneled windows that overlooked a very busy street.

"He wants a divorce, and I know I shoulda seen it coming and not be surprised…" Tracy pushed her plate aside, deciding she was done eating.

"Oh, Tracy, I'm really sorry…." Michelle reached across the table and covered her friend's wrist with her hand.

"When we got married seven years ago, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would wind up as a single mom," Tracy stifled a sob.

"I'm here for you…for whatever you need…" she gazed over at little Mary Ann who was now scribbling furiously with a red crayon on the kids' menu. "And not just for babysitting," she reassured her.

Tracy mumbled a quiet thanks.

Right then, Michelle's cell phone rang.

It was 9:15 am.

**A/N: **As it turns out, this story is going to be a bit longer than I had originally anticipated. So, stay tuned for there are MORE chapters in store!

**Thanks for reading. Thanks for the ALL the lovely reviews! They really help with inspiration, plus they make my day! **


	5. Stuck On You

**A/N: **The title of this chapter comes from the song of the same title by Lionel Ritchie.**  
**

The format of this chapter will be a little different from the previous ones. Enjoy!

* * *

Stuck on You

9:15 am.

"It's Tony," she quickly told her friend. "Yeah, honey…," her voice automatically adopted a warm tone the second she answered. " I found what I needed…uh huh, we're having breakfast right now."

Tracy turned her attention back to her daughter, and tried her best not to listen to the conversation.

"What's your secret, Michelle…" She began as soon as she hung up the phone. "I mean, you and Tony are truly perfect together…"

Michelle exhaled in one long breath. "It has not always been a bed of roses, you know. Tony and I have been through our fair share of rough patches." Yep, two weddings, one divorce. Tracy knew about all this of course.

"When did you know he was the one for you?" Tracy asked, wanting to hear it all over again.

Michelle knew why Tracy wanted her to re-tell her story; she knew her friend was trying to hang on to a sliver of hope that perhaps one day she might find love again.

_**FLASHBACK**_

There had been something hanging between them for the longest time from the first day she started working at CTU. Tony had said so that day at CTU, the day of the bombing.

She had known he was the one from the moment their eyes met for the first time.

She had known from the very first moment they had talked to each other with no one else nearby. Just the two of them.

He had come to see her at her desk about a very important work related matter. After a brief discussion, he turned as if to leave but then retraced his steps after a moment's hesitation and found her standing by her desk, gathering papers.

She leveled her gaze to meet those dark sexy eyes of his and saw the life she wanted to have with him. Normally, she would be sitting at her desk, so this was a new experience for her gaze to meet his at eye level. And she forgot what she was supposed to be doing next…

"Michelle, "He whispered so quietly that for a moment she thought she had imagined his voice. Furthermore, she chastised herself for staring at him like a love-struck teenager.**  
**

"Can you make sure we get that software from IT? " He peered at her intently, his head slightly cocked.

And thus, she had found herself leaning slightly forward in order to listen, only inches away from his personal space…

Then, on more than one occasion, she had felt the warm brush of his fingers whenever he had stopped by to see her with an important document. Their attraction was unmistakable. It was as thunderous as a freight train. Yet, they danced around each other, keenly aware of the molecules in the air overcharged with electric sparks…neither one of them stepping forward…

Until the day of the bombing...

And they had that conversation at his office.

"_So um what are we saying here. If we save LA from a nuclear bomb then you and I can get together for dinner and a movie?"_

Then, somehow Nina's name came up and it was clear that he would rather not talk about that.

She had known from his reaction that the he had been trying to avoid another relationship at the office was because Nina had truly done a number on him.

That day with all its chaos and uncertainty had been one of the most stressful of her entire life.

To top it all off, Danny came looking for her and his timing couldn't have been worse. She couldn't have predicted that he would show up at CTU and run into Carrie. What were the odds?

Next thing she knew she was crying about her brother and feeling that nothing was going right that day. Tony was there to offer a sympathetic ear. And they kissed for the first time.

That first kiss…

Their tongues had danced like perfectly choreographed partners, proving, discovering the other for the first time without being explicitly domineering…like when a child first visits Disneyland, eyes wide taking it all in, with the purest sense of wonder written all over uncensored and free.

She had never been kissed like this before, never had she suspected that a single kiss could have the power to make her weak in the knees as depicted by those riveting romance novels that you just can't put down.

Yet she had to make sure that he felt the same about her.

"Don't be sorry," he assures her. "I'm not…"

* * *

**At the movies**

Of course they got together for dinner and a movie (after L.A was safe and sound). As a matter of fact, they went to see three movies three Saturdays in a row. They shared a giant tub of popcorn and he put his arm around her shoulder.

She discovered that even though he normally didn't like to talk during a movie and yet he was happy to listen to her comments.

They watched_ Die Another day _on their first date_._ It was the kind of action packed James Bond film that glued them to the edge of their seat.

On their second date, they watched _Sweet Home Alabama. _Like most romantic comedies, it was light- hearted, it was the kind that brings about its fair share of smiles and laughter. This time, instead of waiting to have their dinner until after the movie was over, they decided to order a couple of _Subway_ sandwiches and sneaking them into the movie theater in a Macy's shopping bag.

They waited until the lights were out and the commercials were over to bring out their sandwiches out in the open.

"At least now we won't have to starve or fill up on pop corn," he sighed contentedly.

"Somehow, I can't help feel I'm doing something illegal…" she whispered, taking a bite of her sandwich, crouching down low in her seat.

"You shouldn't," he was quick to point out that movie theaters were already ripping millions of people off with their exorbitant ticket prices and overpriced snacks.

On the third Saturday,_ they watched Catch me if you can, _by Steven Spielberg which sparked a very interesting discussion.

"Amazing how he can just switch identities with such ease," Michelle commented.

"Good to see…you know, in case we ever need to…" he smirked in a playful tone.

Michelle stared at him for a moment. "You know…we might, actually have to one day," She whispered this last part for the man sitting directly in front of them had turned to glare at them for the second time in the last two minutes.

They watched the rest of the movie in silence.

* * *

**At a fancy restaurant**

It was during their dinner dates, however, when they had the most interesting conversations.

she told the story of how her mother met her father back when he was in 12th grade. How he was an exchange student from Japan. How she had actually been in her first year of college and how her family had been his host family. She knew very little about him, except that he had gone back to Japan at the end of the school year never to be heard from again.

"My father's ancestors were originally from the Netherlands, and my Mother's from Wales." She shook her head and smiled remembering most people's reactions over this piece of information. It was usually and 'aha' moment when people seemed to be saying to themselves something like "so that's where you get your exotic looks' as though they finally got an answer to a question they had not dared to formulate out loud.

Tony, on the other hand, just nodded and listened intently.

She had tried to keep her story as an interesting anecdote and only mentioning her brother Danny in passing, doing her best to keep embarrassing emotions (and the whole enchilada involving Carrie) at bay.

"Sorry to hear you had to grow up without a father," Tony had said quietly during a moment when Michelle had paused to catch her breath.

"Actually, I didn't …my mom married Danny's dad when I was 4 years old." She paused briefly. "Danny is actually my step brother…but he feels like a real brother to me…" she trailed off.

Right then, the waiter brought the check.

When Tony reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet, a marble fell out of his pocket and rolled under his feet. He quickly retrieved it.

Absentmindedly, he rubbed the marble between his thumb and forefinger.

Then, he told her about his father. He had owned that same marble as a boy; he used to hang on to it for good luck during exams and job interviews.

"He had this teacher who walked around tapping a ruler on his wrist…and would not hesitate to smack his students for getting the wrong answers on a test…"

Michelle tried her best to relate. The best she could come up with was her 5th grade teacher Mr. Dunn who sat grumpy at his desk, shaking his head with an expression that shouted: 'I've had it up to _here_ with you kids…"

Once upon a time, when Tony's father was a young boy, he was caught holding that same marble tightly in his fist during a test. His rather suspicious teacher had thought it was a cheat sheet, and even after proven wrong, he still confiscated the item.

Somehow after much drama, Tony's father got the marble back, and the teacher was transferred to another school, cementing his belief that somehow the marble had brought him some luck.

"It was his lucky charm…he passed it on to me, and ...it couldn't possibly hurt, would it?

Michelle nodded in agreement.

_This was fine with her._

_This was sort of interesting. _This superstition thing was sort of a bit peculiar (hmm...maybe that wasn't the right word to describe it), different from the way she's grown up. In fact she was sure that the word luck was so far removed from her family's everyday vocabulary that it seemed as though it was in a foreign language.

Her parents had not ever gambled or so much bought a lottery ticket (to her knowledge).

One day, when Michelle was small she bought tickets for a raffle with her allowance money.  
_"Who knows, I might get lucky,"_ Michelle had chimed with loads of hope in her voice.

Her mother had stared at her long and and then smiled a smug tight-lipped smile as if she knew better. "We make our own luck, my dear."

She wondered what her mother would have said about Tony, whether she would have believed him to be a keeper.

Michelle met Tony's eyes across the table. "Tell me about your mom…does she also believe in lucky charms? Her tone was light and playful.

A shadow crossed his face**.**

Was it sadness? Apprehension? It Came and went so fast that Michelle thought she might have imagined it.

"She's quite a lady alright," he smiled, letting some of the fondness for his mother shine through. "she's hopelessly old fashioned , believes in luck in every sense of the word… and she loves to cook."

Michelle nodded her head slightly and smiled. She had yet to mention her thing about cooking.

But that didn't really matter, did it?

The bottom line was that they felt comfortable with each other in spite of the fact that they were outside their usual environment. And their conversation had been far from stilted as it usually happened when she first started dating someone new.

There have been no awkward pauses, no uncomfortable moments. Even their body language was in sync.

* * *

**At her place**

He was stuck on her. She was there in his mind first thing when he woke up in the morning, and he thought he heard the wind singing her name whenever he went jogging around the park.

Every time he looked at her he wondered how was it possible that he had lived his whole life without her. With the thrill of discovering an author you just LOVE and whose books you simply can't put down. Now she was here…and he wanted to make her his more than anything else in the world.

When he kissed the soft spot below her ear, her sweet shy smile told him she was as chaste as could be.

At the end of their first three dates, he had gone no further than a gentle cupping of her breasts and from the quiet trembling of her body, he had known it was enough.

He came inside her apartment for the first time after their fourth date. Because she invited him in. Because it was raining.

And it was the right thing to do, she couldn't send him back without offering him an umbrella or something….

Yet, she ended up offering him more than that.

She offered him a cup of hot cocoa which he graciously accepted.

He stared at her, cup in hand while she excused herself to retrieve something from her bedroom. But then, she couldn't remember what it was and hesitated.

"Michelle…" he whispered in that low voice of his. Yet, for what seemed like an eternity, he said nothing else.

She waited for him to continue with her back against the threshold of her bedroom.

He bridged the distance between them in a couple of steps (hers was a rather small place) and looked at her in a way she had never been looked at before.

The look on her face was absolutely angelic and he thought she never looked lovelier with her hair somewhat damp from the rain and sexily tousled to the side.

The words "I love you" had been hovering over Tony's head for quite some time now like the lyrics of a song he just couldn't get out of his head.

He cleared his throat. "I want to go grocery shopping with you."

She stared at him dumfounded. Had she heard him right? She could have sworn he was about to kiss her.

"On our next date…" he clarified. "I mean…I want us to be together, I want us to be a couple." He went on to explain that he was tired of grocery shopping alone and he thought it would be a neat experience for both of them.

Michelle smiled and lowered her eyes in that sexy way of hers that always made his heart pound faster. Never in her wildest dreams would she have considered shopping for groceries as remotely romantic…until today.

"Michelle…" he paused, tracing the line of her chin with his finger in an almost hypnotizing way. " I love you. "

"I love you too," she answered without hesitation.

And then, for the longest time they grinned idiotically at one another before they shared one long sweet kiss.

It was at that moment that she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would be the one she wanted to share the rest of her life with. What's more, she believed that indeed there was such thing as luck…yet we were not helpless vessels in a storm, but rather we were the captains of our own destiny.

**A/N: **Thanks so much for all the reviews, Please keep them coming!


	6. The Proposal

**A/N: **This chapter starts exactly where the last chapter left off.

* * *

The Proposal

Her hand slowly but steadily went for his zipper, her back moving away from the threshold of the door. Their kiss deepened as his tongue sought hers with heightened passion. Breaking the kiss for a second or two, her hand slid into his jeans.

"We gotta stop," he breathed suddenly.

She moaned in protest seeking his lips again.

"Wait," he said, breathing heavily, clearly struggling to regain control. "I want our first time to be special." He declared in no uncertain terms.

Michelle blinked a few times, cocked her head, a huge interrogation sign looming over her head.

"Alright, this is how it is," he began, scratching the side of his face. "This may sound a little off…but I do really believe that sex is better reserved for when there is a strong emotional bond between two people already well established ...this takes time. This is only our fourth date. And even though I do love you, I still think we should wait."

_Aw…No sex before marriage_, she thought. "Is this about your catholic upbringing…" her lips curved into a sort of shy/knowing smile, tucking behind her ear a bouncy curl that had gone astray. Now he had mentioned that he'd been raised with hardcore traditional values.

"I'm not a virgin, if that's what you're worried about," she smirked a little playfully and lowered her eyes just so. A moment later, she peered up at him.

Sexy, he thought.

This was going to be harder than he'd thought.

There was a value in waiting until the emotional bond was strong enough between two people was strong enough in itself before becoming physically intimate. This was something that he had heard all his life but he hadn't fully believed until his relationship with Nina. Then, it had become painfully apparent that all that had bonded them together them was nothing but physical lust.

Now at this point in his life, he was back embracing the traditional values that he had rejected most of his adult life.

Tony Almeida was born in Chicago, lived there until the age of eight and grew up supporting the Chicago Cubs. Soon after his eighth birthday his family moved to Chula Vista, an outskirt town in San Diego County. His mother used to say (with certain pride) that Chula Vista, which was literally only twenty minutes away from the international border, was nothing but Mexico's front yard.

As a child, he'd frequently traveled by car to Ensenada, Mexico, riding lonesome in the back seat of his daddy's station wagon.

What he recalled the most from those trips was staring at freeway exit sign announcing the 'last USA exit'. Although he understood the Mexico was an entirely different country, it wasn't until later on (as he grew older) that the sign came to mean something more as he understood the concept of patriotism to a whole different level.

Moving to California had been primarily motivated by his mother's wish to visit her relatives more often.

The back-story: Dolores Almeida had discreetly sought her independence from her birth family as soon as she came of age. Indeed, she had effectively put thousands of miles between herself and her family of origin when she had convinced her strict parents to send her away to college in the US.

Four years later, Dolores' unsuspecting parents were shocked to discover that their beloved daughter had not only failed to return home but had also decided to stay in Chicago and Marry Jose Antonio Almeida; the very man they had forbidden her to entertain as a proper suitor and whom they had unceremoniously rebuffed when he dared petitioned for her hand in marriage.

As fate would have it, Tony's father, Jose Antonio Almeida had followed her all the way to Chicago.

Of course, some would say that fate had nothing to do with Dolores marrying Jose Antonio Almeida.

Tony had been named after his father but went by Tony from a very young age. He grew up in a stable, loving home.

Shortly after their move to the San Diego area, Tony attended his parents' US citizenship ceremony.

Having witnessed how hard they had prepared for such an important event, Tony stood proudly in the audience clapping louder than anyone else around him.

For months, his parents had studied book after book of US history they could get their hands on in preparation for the citizenship interview. As a result, Tony developed a fierce love for his country seeing his immigrant parents work so hard to earn their citizenship working hard to overcome all types of obstacles.

As English was not their native language, he had watched both of his parents studying idiomatic expressions, writing them down in neatly kept notebooks and practicing them over and over. Many times, Tony found himself rushing home from school, with a new idiom in tow he was sure his parents had not heard before.

He would never forget the delighted look on his parents' faces.

One day, his parents took him with them to citizenship class where you learn and discuss all the things a new citizen is expected to know before taking the written test and face to face interview at the INS building.

The citizenship class instructor had commented to Tony how he'd never seen more dedicated students. Ten year old Tony beamed; he was proud of his parents and his love for his country grew ten fold.

Many years later, after Tony got hired by CTU Los Angeles, his fiercely patriot parents decided to move once again; this time they moved all the way down to Mexico City. By then, Dolores' parents had passed away, leaving her with their 'hacienda' and other property.

* * *

Tony and Michelle had been dating for almost four months now.

It was starting to feel like an eternity to him. In truth, he wanted to share her bed, wake up next to her pretty face and have breakfast with her every morning of their lives.

He was absolutely certain now that she was _the one_. She was the only woman he would ever want to be with; the one who understood him, the one he could trust. Even though they had been together a short time (in the big scheme of things) love had just been just a word until the day he met her.

Today was the day.

Every crisis at CTU had taught him how fleeting life could be and how it could all end in the blink of an eye.

Without telling her of the specific destination he had in mind, they drove down to San Diego.

It was a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Even though it was only a two hour drive from Los Angeles, the times that Michelle had been to San Diego could be counted with one hand, thus she enjoyed the scenic drive in spite of the traffic heading south.

They arrived at the Torrey Pines Gliderport in the late afternoon**. **Tony had chosen this place because the view simply had no equal that he knew of, and in a way, it was like a little hidden treasure that few people knew about.

Michelle felt a cool breeze once they had crossed the parking lot and headed towards the café located atop the sea cliffs that overlooked the pacific ocean, making her double back to retrieve her lightweight sweater which she had left behind in the back seat of the vehicle.

Tony was already wearing a light leather jacket; Michelle thought it was a little odd for him to choose to wear his jacket while driving.

They ordered a couple of gourmet sandwiches at the café and ate while enjoying the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean as it spanned 320 feet below them.

Michelle's eyes brightened with excitement at the sight of paragliders and other planes take off right from the outdoor dining area which was certainly an unique experience

An hour or so later, they left the café, just as the flying conditions had changed and the paragliders were no longer flying. They walked hand in hand to a secluded cliff overlooking the vast ocean.

The sky displayed soft pastels of pink, blue and orange in preparation for twilight.

Michelle peered out into the vast ocean, mesmerized by the sight of whales and dolphins that could be viewed from where they stood. "Oh, Tony, look…a family of dolphins!" she exclaimed turning to face Tony.

But Tony wasn't looking at the dolphins.

He was digging into his light feather jacket, and then in one fluid motion crouched down as if he was looking for something on the ground.

"What are you doing? Oh, Can I help you look?"

"No, no…sit down!" Tony looked a little flustered. "I dropped something," he said with a sheepish look on his face.

Right then, the sky started drizzling which took them by surprise.

He had been checking the weather all day the chance of rain was only supposed to be 10% .

Whatever the case, he hoped it didn't go past a light drizzle.

He didn't have much time now, he realized. _It was now or never._

He had one knee on he ground and the other propped up in front of him. He held up a little black velvet case in the palm of his hand.

OH, MY**! **Instinctively she brought her hands to her mouth as if to stifle a cry. He was doing one of those proper, bended knee proposals that they do in the movies.

"Michelle," he began in a melodious tone. He cleared his throat. "Will you marry me?" he asked and then quickly added before she had a chance to respond: "Ok, well…this is definitely looks lot easier in the movies…but, just look at the beautiful sunset in the background, and ignore this damn rain," he said looking up at the raindrops falling on his head.

Then they gazed at each other, holding their breaths for a second or two.

Her lips broke into a sunny smile. Tony breathed a sigh of relief. _She's happy!_

For days, he had thought of different ways he could propose. He had hoped to come up with something original, yet romantic. On the very top of his list of romantic proposals, was the elegant dinner at a fancy restaurant scenario and having the waiter bring the ring on a silver platter along with a long stemmed rose.

One of this friends suggested he get a kitten (Michelle was a cat lover) and hook the ring around its collar. After giving it some serious thought, Tony went ahead and purchased a tiger stripped kitten at his local _Petsmart._

Unfortunately, the kitten had taken to hiding under the bed in the spare room as soon as he brought him home. He had been planning to take the kitten over to Michelle's place the next day. But, the little scaredy-cat had refused to come out of its hiding place. In fact, it was still there, hiding under the bed. Nothing he had tried to coax the kitten seemed to work, so he had just figured he would come out when he was good and ready.

In the end, he resorted to just asking her and not putting it off any longer.

She took the velvet box in her slightly trembling fingers, a rosier color all over her cheeks.

"Go ahead, open it," he prompted seeing that she seemed like frozen in time.

She opened the box very slowly, as though she was wanted to relish every second of this moment.

He sprung up to his feet and crossed the distance between them so that their faces were only a few inches apart, just in time to take in the most genuine look of delight he'd ever seen.

The ring was absolutely gorgeous!

Now Michelle had never been particularly interested in Jewelry. She was definitely not one of those women who could speak with authority about carats or diamond cuts. Heck, she could barely recognize real gold from fashion jewelry. Furthermore, all diamond rings she had ever seen had looked identical to her, unless there was something easy for the naked eye to see; like for instance if one diamond was significantly larger than the other, then yeah, she could definitely tell the difference.

"Oh, Tony! it's so beautiful… so sparkly!" she gasped, not bothering to blink back the tears that were now intermingling with raindrops. It was the gesture and its significance that really touched her heart to soaring heights.

Suddenly, he realized that something was missing. "Does this mean yes? Yes, you will marry me?" he asked once again sporting a sheepish look.

"Oh, Tony," she whispered, tears of joy intermingling with the soft sounds of her laughter. " YES… YES… YES !" she replied enthusiastically, lacing her arms around his neck and placing a kiss on his lips.

Then, he lifted her off the ground, and swung her around in a circle while she laughed and cried and buried her face on his shoulder.

**A/N:** _Reviews are a gift :)_


	7. Meet the Parents

**A/N:** Title for this chapter derived from the movie of the same title.

* * *

Meet the Parents

Exactly two weeks after he proposed, Tony suggested that they drive down to Mexico on Labor Day weekend to meet his family; the plan was for them to spend a couple of nights at his parents' home and drive back to Los Angeles on Monday night.

Michelle readily agreed to the trip and was looking forward to meeting the two most influencial people in tony's upbringing. In a perfect world, meeting the in-laws to be would have been balanced out on both sides.

But Michelle's mother had died of cancer a few years ago and she wasn't particularly close to her stepfather, thus there would be no in-laws for Tony to meet other than her brother Danny.

The night before their trip, they met Danny for dinner at _Red Lobster_ and told him about their engagement. It had been a pleasant get-together; Michelle felt that her brother had acted on his best behavior in expressing his support of her decision to marry Tony.

Likewise, there was no doubt in Michelle's mind that her mother would have liked Tony. She had been a kind, non-judgemental soul and without being overly affectionate or touchy-feely, she always had something nice to say about everyone.

Indeed, it had been her mother who had taught her the art of having reasonable expectations as a way of leading a happy life. Therefore, she prepared for the trip by reminding herself that she was not to expect Tony's parents to love her at first sight. If they did happen to hit it off, then she would just consider it a bonus.

Although she felt optimistic (for the most part), there was a fact that loomed in the back of her mind like a pesky fly: most statistics ranked the meeting future in-laws quite high on the list of life's most stressful events.

"So, today is the day," Michelle said a little nervous, a little breathless, sitting in the passenger seat beside Tony.

"Just relax, my parents are gonna love you," he reassured her as he put the key in the ignition and turned on the engine. Then, he turned to lean closer to her so that their faces were only a few inches apart.

He traced her lips with his thumb ever so gently, and that single touch sent tiny shivers down to the heat between her legs. Not for the first time she wondered how much longer she could go on like this.

She wanted him with feverish madness. Every day that went by she became convinced that no event in her life (aside from maybe her wedding day), could ever top this feeling of anticipation intertwined with an intense sense of wonder that relentlessly consumed her every waking thought.

Once they crossed the international border, it took them another couple of hours to reach their destination. They crossed over the hills and down into a wide valley.

They drove through uneven terrain and not for the first time, Tony expressed how glad he was that he decided to trade in his Lexus for the four wheel drive Ford Bronco which he had always loved ever since the infamous O.J Simpson freeway chase.

The place was so well hidden that not even the locals would have known of its existence.

As soon as they arrived at the _Hacienda_ a woman in her late sixties greeted them with the warmest smile and throwing her arms around Tony.

Michelle noted that she was wearing a blue outfit with a white apron which very much reminded her of Alice, the friendly maid from the _Brady Bunch._ Tony introduced her as Maria, also known as 'mami.'

"She's been with us since forever, always saving me from getting caught with my hands in the cookie jar!" He smirked at Maria rather fondly remembering all those visits to his grandparents' when he was young and then added, "she doesn't speak any English."

"I speak some English!" Maria quickly interjected. "Nice to meet you" she said with a very thick Spanish accent. "Eres muy bonita, mi nina! por fin el Tony tiene novia! Tu eres la primera mujer que el Tony nos presenta! (You're so pretty, my dear, finally our Tony brings a girlfriend for us to meet, you're the only one he's ever brought here). She said all this rather effusively, holding Michelle's hands in an openly affectionate gesture.

"She says that you are quite beautiful and that she's happy to meet you...and that it was just about time I brought a girlfriend," Tony added this last sentence with a sort of reluctant smile.

"Very nice meeting you!" Michelle returned Maria's warm smile.

Maria summoned a young boy who seemed to instantly materialize out of nowhere and who took care of Michelle and Tony's suitcases in a quick and seamless transaction. Then, Maria led the way towards the concrete walkway that lead to the Almeida's mission style home.

As they walked into the foyer, Michelle's eyes focused on the long wooden table that ran the entire length of the white wall directly behind it. This was a bright room with light streaming through the windows at midday, although since it was close to twilight, she noticed that the light coming through the windows were casting a soft light onto the picture frames sitting on the long table.

While Tony engaged in small talk with Maria, Michelle was drawn to the picture frames.

Most of the framed photos on display on the mantel were snapshots of Tony at different ages; baby pictures, riding a tricycle, and holding a small black puppy. There were various school pictures of Tony. The one that caught her eye was Tony's graduation picture: he was smiling triumphantly next to a girl that looked suspiciously like a supermodel.

The natural conclusion that could be inferred from looking at the family snapshots was that Tony had had a very happy childhood.

In the middle of all the framed pictures there was a wedding portrait of Tony's parents in a larger size than the rest of the pictures which instantly caught her eye. The bride and groom were holding hands and at first glance they appeared to be looking into each others eyes in a romantic way. But upon closer inspection it became evident to Michelle the bride's hands were were folded in prayer and that the groom's hands were simply in close proximity to hers.

Another detail that captured her attention were the bride and groom's matching wedding bands. She thought it was a nice touch and definitely something she would like to emulate for her own wedding.

Maria quietly slipped away as soon as his parents walked into the room.

Mr. Almeida, a tall thin man with silver streaks in his hair was the first one to welcome them. He gave his son an affectionate handshake and a series of pats in the back. Then, still smiling, he shook hands with Michelle.

Mrs. Almeida approached her son with an extra long warm hug. She was thin and almost as tall as her husband. The long black dress she wore along with her ebony hair tied into a straight bun gave her an elegant look.

Tony sheepishly peeled his mother away, clearly uncomfortable with a hug that seemed as though would never come to a natural end and introduced Michelle.

"Very nice to meet you," Michelle stretched out her hand with a warm smile.

After witnessing such a warm display of affection, Michelle was slightly taken aback by Mrs. Almeida's sudden standoffish stance.

"Nice to meet you," Dolores Almeida murmured coolly, giving Michelle a look that clearly stated 'no woman is good enough for my son'.

Moments later the Almeidas gave Michelle a tour of the house; every room looked impecable as though it had been host to a magazine photo shoot.

This was a historical home with a low roof, tall arched windows and terracota tile. The mission style roof had red Spanish tiles with archways leading into the courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard, there was a 3 tier fountain surrounded with lush plants and with water cascading from one level to the next.

Tony mentioned that he had traced their family geneology all the way back to Hernan Cortes, the Spanish Conquistador who had claimed Mexico for Spain.

Maria politely announced that dinner was ready.

The dining room walls were painted a sort of mustard yellow color and its archways opened up onto the courtyard. From their conversation, Michelle gathered that this was their formal dining room.

They sat at a long hardwood rectangular table with a fancy table setting designed to entertain twelve. Mr. Almeida sat at the head of the table with his wife on one side of him and his son to the other. Michelle took the seat to the right of Tony.

When everyone closed their eyes during grace, michelle stared at the chandelier above the centerpiece dining room table which hung by a thread of a gold chain which looked as though it might break at any moment and wondered what it would take for the chain to break. She had not been brought up in a religious home; in fact she could count the number of times she and her mother had attended church with the palm of her hand. Still, she considered herself a protestant and all 'the hail marys recited made her feel just a tad uncomfortable.

They had_ carne asada_, tortilla soup, beans and an assortment of side dishes. Michelle smiled wth some relief. Well, at least she was familiar with the menu.

In the beginning some niceties were exchanged and Michelle mosly listened as the others engaged in small talk.

Dolores met Michelle's gaze with the predatory eyes of a hawk. "So, where are you from, my dear?" she smiled smoothly but the smile did not reach her eyes. This was clearly a woman for which anything short of perfect was not acceptable, this was evident in the way she spoke and how she carried herself.

Michelle thought of her heritage; she considered herself an American. Not a japanese-american. Not a Welsh American. Just simply American. It bothered her that some people used those terms in their quest to be politically correct.

"I was born and raised in California" Michelle simply replied.

Tony's mother forced smile. "Yes, yes but what I mean is where was your family originally from?"

Michelle knew instantly what she meant... she was talking about Michelle's looks.

"Mama?" Tony gave his mother a quizzical look.

"That's okay, Tony, I don't mind talking about that," Michelle reassured him. "My father was Japanese and my mother was Welch," she met Dolores' gaze and her chin came up a notch as if ready to meet any deprecatory comments head-on. _Plus, your chandelier is hanging way too low and doesn't fit well with your low ceiling,_ she thought.

"Oh," she murmured, leaning forward. For a minute it looked as if she might give Michelle a second chance.

"We have some news," Tony shifted in his seat and took a deep breath. "We're getting married."

The smile on his parents' faces froze and then they exchanged looks of astonishment. "What?" they interjected in unison.

"We're getting married." Tony repeated patiently.

For a minute or so there was an uncomfortable silence, their meals long forgotten.

Finally, Tony's father broke the silence. "Congratulations on your engagement," he said.

"Congratulations," echoed tony's mother."I hope it works out this time." she added with a sly look.

"This time?" Michelle inquired before she had a chance to censor her words.

Dolores cleared her throat and looked a little flustered when meeting Michelle's eyes. "Yes, I'm sure tony has you about Lilia?

Michelle's face at the mention of another woman. She turned to Tony.

"Remember I told you about Lilia, _my cousin_," Tony immediately retored, emphasizing the word 'cousin.'

Michelle nodded.

"Twice removed," Dolores interjected.

Tony glared at his mother. "Any particular reason for bringing her into the conversation? I have not seen Lilia in ages... and as far as I know she doesn't even live in this country anymore. _Lilia es el pasado_ (Lilia is in the past)."

"Actually... Lilia is here in town," Jose Antonio turned to his son. "We invited her over for dinner once you told us you were coming. She called to say she was running a little late."

Michelle couldn't help but notice the fury that was instantly evident in Tony's eyes.

"She's here?" Tony meet his mother's gaze, fuming. His expectations were ruined. He felt like a fool for expecting his mother to behave herself. She should have mentioned this when he had talked to her over the phone informing her of their labor day weekend plans.

"She divorced her husband a few years back and she decided to move back home. _Esta soltera y sin compromiso_ (She doesn't have any children and she never got remarried.)" Dolores explained, adding this last piece of information exclusively for Tony's ears.

"And you invited her here on the weekend I bring in my fiancee?" He crumbled his fancy paper napkin into a ball and stood up. He didn't need his parents' blessing...especially not his mother's. It wasn't that he didn't love his mother. It was just that he found her quite 'draining' for a lack of a better word.

Before she had a chance to blink, Tony was darting out the front door and heading towards their parked vehicle.

"Tony, wait!" she urged him to stop but he kept on walking as though he'd been fired by a bullet. "You can't let her get to you like this..."

She nearly caught up with him when he made it to the driver seat of the Bronco.

Michelle slipped into the passenger seat. "Wait!" she insisted.

He shook his head. "I can't stay..."

"We can't just leave!"

"Yes we can, just watch!" he turned the key in the ignition, revved up the engine by pressing the gas pedal and gripped the steering wheel.

"Our bags!" she exclaimed adamantly to get his attention before he had a chance to shift the gear to reverse. "Our luggage is inside the house." she clarified in a more calmed manner.

Somehow, this made Tony regain his bearings. Yes, they would have to get back to the house, there was no way around that. They couldn't just take off without saying good-bye... that much became instantly clear.

She reached for his arm, her touch warm and soothing. He then released his grip on the steering wheel. Seconds later, she sought his hand and threaded their fingers together. "So you and Lilia were engaged?" she gently prompted.

To be continued...

**A/N:** _Reviews are like flowers, they're always welcomed and they always bring a smile :)_


End file.
